JP6925130B2 - Vehicle control device and vehicle control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method.

Conventionally, an autonomous driving vehicle has been developed in which a passenger in a vehicle is automatically driven without any driving operation.

A manually driven vehicle operated by a passenger's driving operation is required to hold a driver's license for the passenger. This is because it is considered that the manually driven vehicle can be safely operated if the passenger has acquired a predetermined driving operation technique.

Further, the autonomous driving vehicle may have a manual driving mode operated by manual driving as well as an automatic driving mode operated by automatic driving. This is because some passengers want to enjoy manual driving in which they operate the vehicle by themselves.

For example, it has been proposed that passengers boarding autonomous vehicles are also required to hold a driver's license (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-130091

However, it is expected that passengers who do not have a driver's license will board an autonomous vehicle.

For example, the use of self-driving vehicles is expected in depopulated areas where public transportation is scarce. Those who wish to use self-driving vehicles in such areas may not have a driver's license.

The autonomous driving vehicle has a function of automatically driving to the destination if the passenger inputs the destination even if the passenger does not have a driver's license.

However, if the passenger does not have a driver's license, it is also required that autonomous vehicles are not allowed to drive manually.

It is an object of the present specification to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method for determining an operation range in which operation of a vehicle having an automatic driving mode is permitted to a passenger.

According to the vehicle control device disclosed in the present specification, the vehicle control device has a plurality of driving modes having different operating ranges in which the vehicle can be operated, and the plurality of driving modes have at least an automatic driving mode. Then, based on the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who drives the vehicle, which is acquired from the external server, the process of determining that the vehicle is operated in any one of the above-mentioned plurality of driving modes. It has a part.

Further, according to the vehicle control method disclosed in the present specification, the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who drives the vehicle is acquired from an external server, and at least the automatic driving mode is provided based on the above driving qualification information. However, it is provided that it is determined that the vehicle is operated in any one of a plurality of driving modes in which the operating range in which the operation of the vehicle is allowed is different.

According to the vehicle control device disclosed in the present specification described above, the operation of the vehicle having the automatic driving mode is permitted based on the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who drives the vehicle obtained from an external server. The operating range can be determined.

Further, according to the vehicle control method disclosed in the present specification described above, the operation of the vehicle having the automatic driving mode is permitted based on the driving qualification information of the passenger who drives the vehicle acquired from the external server. The operating range to be operated can be determined.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the vehicle control network system disclosed in this specification. It is a figure which shows the vehicle control system disclosed in this specification. It is a functional block diagram of the processing part of a vehicle control device. It is a figure explaining the storage part. It is a figure which shows the storage part. It is a figure which shows the driving qualification information table. It is a flowchart (the 1) explaining the operation of a vehicle control network system. It is a sequence diagram (the 1) which shows the operation of a vehicle control network system. It is a figure which shows the screen which is displayed on the display part of an in-vehicle device. It is a flowchart (2) explaining the operation of a vehicle control network system. It is a figure which shows the manual operation history table. It is a figure which shows the screen of the display part at the time of acquiring the automatic driving evaluation information. It is a sequence diagram (No. 2) which shows the operation of a vehicle control network system. It is a sequence diagram (No. 3) which shows the operation of a vehicle control network system. It is a sequence diagram (No. 4) which shows the operation of a vehicle control network system.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the vehicle control network system disclosed in the present specification will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to those embodiments, but extends to the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle control network system disclosed in the present specification. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a vehicle control system included in the vehicle control network system disclosed in the present specification.

The vehicle control network system 100 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as system 100) of the present embodiment is a server that is communicably connected to the vehicle control system 1 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as system 1) via system 1 and network N. 110 is provided.

The system 1 controls the operation of a vehicle having an automatic driving mode in which the passenger is automatically driven without driving operation and a manual driving mode in which the passenger is operated by the driving operation of the passenger. In this embodiment, the system 1 is mounted on a vehicle having four wheels.

In the automatic driving mode, the operation of the main control system including steering, acceleration, and braking of the vehicle is automatically performed. In the manual driving mode, the above-mentioned operation of the main control system of the vehicle is performed by the passenger seated in the driver's seat.

The automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode have different operating ranges in which the passenger who drives the vehicle is allowed to operate the vehicle. For example, in the autonomous driving mode, the passenger is allowed to input the destination, but not to operate the main control system including steering, accelerating, and braking the vehicle. On the other hand, in the manual operation mode, the passenger is also allowed to operate the main control system.

The system 1 determines the driving mode based on the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who can sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle acquired from the server 110. The vehicle can be controlled by the determined driving mode.

The system 1 may be operated by a passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, or may be operated by communication from a passenger outside the vehicle.

The server 110 has a storage unit 112 that stores a driving qualification information table or the like in which driving qualification information associated with the passenger information of a passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat is registered.

The server 110 may be communicably connected to the server 120 of a public institution such as the police or the Public Safety Commission via the network N. The server 110 can acquire the driving qualification information and the driving qualification-related information related to the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat from the server 120 of the public institution, and can update the driving qualification-related information. For example, when the driver's license of the passenger has expired, the server 110 is updated as having no driving qualification as the driving qualification information.

Further, the system 1 acquires vehicle setting information, route history information, and automatic driving history information associated with the passenger information of a passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle from the server 110, and is based on the information. Control the vehicle. The vehicle setting information, the route history information, and the automatic driving history information will be described later.

In the system 1, even if the same passenger gets on a different vehicle based on the vehicle setting information, the route history information, and the automatic driving history information, each vehicle responds to the passenger based on the passenger information. Is controlled by. Further, in the system 100, even if different passengers board the same vehicle based on the vehicle setting information, the route history information, and the automatic driving history information, the same vehicle is used by each passenger based on the information of each passenger. Is controlled to correspond to.

The system 1 is communicably connected to a terminal 130 such as a high-performance mobile terminal possessed by a passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat via a network N. A passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat can communicate with the system 1 from the outside of the vehicle by using the terminal 130.

Next, the system 1 will be described in detail below.

The system 1 includes a vehicle control device 10, a driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20, a passenger information acquisition unit 30, and an in-vehicle device 40. In addition, the system 1 includes a driving control device 60, a vehicle state sensor 70, and a vehicle setting control unit 80.

Next, the vehicle control device 10 will be described in detail below.

The vehicle control device 10 detects that the passenger has been seated in the driver's seat based on the information acquired by the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20. Further, the vehicle control device 10 transmits the passenger information acquired by the passenger information acquisition unit 30 to the server 110 via the network N, and receives the driving qualification information associated with the passenger information from the server 110.

The vehicle control device 10 determines an allowable driving mode for a occupant (a occupant who operates a vehicle) who can sit in the driver's seat based on the received driving qualification information.

The vehicle control device 10 uses the in-vehicle device 40 to input a destination and search for an allowable route from the present to the destination in an allowable driving mode.

The vehicle control device 10 causes the operation control device 60 to control the operation of the vehicle.

Further, the vehicle control device 10 causes the vehicle setting control unit 80 to adjust the drive position so as to correspond to the occupant and to control the in-vehicle device 40 based on the vehicle setting information of the occupant.

The vehicle control device 10 includes a processing unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

The processing unit 11 has one or more processors and peripheral circuits. The processing unit 11 controls each hardware component of the vehicle control device 10 and performs various processes according to a predetermined program 12a stored in the storage unit 12 in advance, and temporarily stores the data generated during the process. The storage unit 12 is used.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the processing unit of the vehicle control device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a storage unit.

The processing unit 11 includes an operation qualification information acquisition unit 11a, an operation mode determination unit 11b, a route determination unit 11c, an information update unit 11d, and an electronic payment unit 11e.

Each of these units included in the processing unit 11 is, for example, a functional module realized by a computer program running on the processor included in the processing unit 11. Each of these units included in the processing unit 11 may be mounted on the vehicle control device 10 as a separate circuit. The explanation of each part will be described later.

The storage unit 12 may have a semiconductor memory such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic disk, or a flash memory. The storage unit 12 may have a drive capable of reading a storage medium for storing a predetermined program 12a.

The storage unit 12 stores a predetermined program 12a, a vehicle setting table 12b, a route history table 12c, a manual driving history table 12d, an automatic driving history table 12e, and the like. The vehicle setting table 12b, the route history table 12c, the manual driving history table 12d, and the automatic driving history table 12e will be described later.

The communication unit 13 transmits / receives information to / from the server 110 via the network N by using wireless communication. The communication unit 13 connects to the network N via a base station in accordance with a predetermined communication standard such as 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). Further, the communication unit 13 transmits / receives information to / from the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20, the passenger information acquisition unit 30, the in-vehicle device 40, the operation control device 60, and the vehicle setting control unit 80. The processing unit 11 performs various processes based on the information received by the communication unit 13. In addition, the processing unit 11 transmits the results of performing various processes using the communication unit 13. The communication unit 13 may have a communication circuit and a communication line or an antenna for transmitting and receiving.

In addition, the communication unit 13 can wirelessly communicate with a wireless communication device arranged at a tollhouse on a toll road. Further, the communication unit 13 can wirelessly communicate with the terminal 130 owned by the passenger.

Next, the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20 will be described in detail below.

The driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20 acquires information indicating the seated state of the driver's seat of the vehicle, and transmits information indicating whether or not the vehicle is seated to the vehicle control device 10. The driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20 includes a driver's seat load sensor 21, a seatbelt wearing sensor 22, and a camera 23. However, the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20 does not have to have all of these sensors and the like. Further, the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20 may have another means for detecting that the occupant is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle.

When the driver's seat load sensor 21 detects a load of a predetermined value or more in the driver's seat of the vehicle, the driver's seat load sensor 21 transmits a signal notifying the detection to the vehicle control device 10.

When the seatbelt wearing sensor 22 detects that the seatbelt arranged in the driver's seat of the vehicle is worn by the occupant, the seatbelt wearing sensor 22 transmits a signal notifying the detection to the vehicle control device 10.

The camera 23 captures an image including the driver's seat of the vehicle and transmits the captured image to the vehicle control device 10.

Next, the passenger information acquisition unit 30 will be described in detail below.

The passenger information acquisition unit 30 acquires passenger information for recognizing a passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, and transmits the acquired passenger information to the vehicle control device 10. The passenger information is used in the server 110 to determine the driving credential information that the passenger has. Examples of the passenger information include information held by the driver's license, an image of the passenger's face, and biometric information of the passenger. Specifically, the passenger information acquisition unit 30 includes a driver's license reader 31, a camera 32, and a biometric information sensor 33. However, the passenger information acquisition unit 30 does not have to have all of these sensors and the like. In addition, the passenger information acquisition unit 30 may have other means for acquiring passenger information.

The driver's license reader 31 acquires the information possessed by the IC card type driver's license of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, and transmits the acquired information to the vehicle control device 10 as passenger information. The driver's license reader 31 is arranged, for example, below the dashboard in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle. A passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle holds or brings his / her IC card-type driver's license near or in contact with the driver's license reader 31 to read the information contained in the driver's license. As the driver's license reader 31, for example, an RFID reader can be used. Information that a driver's license has includes the license number and date of birth.

The camera 32 captures an image including the driver's seat of the vehicle, and transmits the captured image to the vehicle control device 10 as passenger information. The camera 32 may be the same as the camera 23.

The biometric information sensor 33 acquires biometric information of a occupant seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, and transmits the acquired biometric information to the vehicle control device 10 as occupant information. Examples of biological information include finger fingerprint images, voiceprints, and vein patterns. When an image of a finger fingerprint is used as the biometric information, for example, a capacitance type can be used as the biometric information sensor 33. A passenger seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle has, for example, read a fingerprint of a finger by a biometric information sensor 33, which is a fingerprint sensor.

Next, the in-vehicle device 40 will be described in detail below.

The in-vehicle device 40 includes a processing unit 41, a storage unit 42, a display unit 43, an operation unit 44, an acoustic output unit 45, and a communication unit 46. The in-vehicle device 40 can be operated under the control of the vehicle control device 10.

The processing unit 41 has one or more processors and peripheral circuits. The processing unit 41 controls each hardware component of the in-vehicle device 40 and performs various processes according to a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 42 in advance, and stores the data generated during the process for temporarily storing the data. Part 42 is used.

The storage unit 42 may have a semiconductor memory such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM), or a non-volatile memory such as a magnetic disk or a flash memory. Further, the storage unit 42 may use a disk drive as a drive capable of reading a non-temporary storage medium for storing a predetermined program.

The display unit 43 is arranged on the center console and is controlled by the processing unit 41 to be able to display various information accompanying the operation of the in-vehicle device 40. As the display unit 43, for example, a liquid crystal display can be used. The display unit 43 is also used to display information in the processing of the vehicle control device 10.

The operation unit 44 is operated by the passenger and can input the operation. As the operation unit 44, the in-vehicle device 40 can use, for example, a touch panel arranged on the screen of the display unit 43. The operation unit 44 is also used for inputting an operation in the processing of the vehicle control device 10.

The sound output unit 45 has a speaker (not shown) and is controlled by the processing unit 41 to output sound. The sound output unit 45 is also used to output sound in the processing of the vehicle control device 10. The acoustic output unit 45 has an acoustic output setting function such as an equalizer function.

The vehicle control device 10 acquires vehicle setting information including setting information of the vehicle-mounted device 40 such as the occupant's acoustic output unit 45 from the server 110, and notifies the vehicle-mounted device 40 of the acquired vehicle setting information. The in-vehicle device 40 adjusts the acoustic output settings such as the equalizer function of the acoustic output unit 45 based on the notified vehicle setting information.

As a result, even when the same passenger boarding a different vehicle, the setting of the acoustic output of each vehicle is adjusted to correspond to the passenger based on the vehicle setting information of the passenger. Further, even when different passengers board the same vehicle, the acoustic output setting of the same vehicle is adjusted to correspond to each passenger based on the vehicle setting information of each passenger.

The communication unit 46 communicates with the vehicle control device 10 and the in-vehicle network (Controlled by Controller Area Network: CAN) mounted on the vehicle. Further, the communication unit 46 may be able to communicate with the outside via the network N by using wireless communication. The communication unit 46 may have a communication circuit and a communication line or an antenna for transmitting and receiving. The communication unit 46 may be shared with the communication unit 13.

Further, in the vehicle-mounted device 40, position information indicating the position of the vehicle is input from the GPS information receiving unit 50 mounted on the vehicle. The GPS information receiving unit 50 receives the GPS radio wave transmitted by the GPS artificial satellite, obtains the position of the vehicle, and outputs the position information of the vehicle to the in-vehicle device 40.

The processing unit 41 has a navigation function. The navigation function is a functional module realized by executing a program stored in the storage unit 42 using the map data also stored in the storage unit 42, and is a function module realized by using the map data also stored in the storage unit 42, and the current position of the vehicle acquired from the GPS information receiving unit 50. We will guide you to your destination based on. The processing unit 41 generates a map image and voice guidance information showing a map around the vehicle based on the map data stored in the storage unit 42 and the position of the vehicle. Further, when the destination is set by the passenger, the processing unit 41 derives a route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination and superimposes the route on the map image. The map image generated by the processing unit 41 is displayed on the display unit 43.

In the storage unit 42, the road on the stored map data, the road information capable of traveling by automatic driving, and the road information not permitted to travel by automatic driving are stored in association with each other. For example, a highway may be permitted to drive by automatic driving, but a general road may not be permitted to drive by automatic driving.

The processing unit 41 of the in-vehicle device 40 generates a route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination based on the notification from the vehicle control device 10. Further, the processing unit 41 can generate a route that passes only through a road that can be traveled by automatic driving, based on a notification from the vehicle control device 10. The processing unit 41 of the in-vehicle device 40 may derive a plurality of routes and determine one route selected by the passenger as the route.

Further, the processing unit 41 may derive a route so as to pass through a point or a road designated by the passenger.

Next, the operation control device 60 will be described in detail below.

The driving control device 60 is controlled by the vehicle control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode to control the operation of the vehicle. The operation control device 60 includes an automatic operation control unit 61 and a manual operation control unit 62. In the automatic operation mode, the operation control device 60 outputs a control signal generated by the automatic operation control unit 61 to the steering device 71, the drive device 72, and the braking device 73, which will be described later. Further, in the manual operation mode, the operation control device 60 generates a signal to be output to the steering device 71, the drive device 72, and the braking device 73 based on the operation by the passenger.

The vehicle state sensor 70 has sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle, such as a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and an engine speed sensor. Further, the vehicle condition sensor 70 has, for example, a sensor such as a camera and a radar that detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. The information detected by the vehicle condition sensor 70 is output to the driving control device 60.

The automatic driving control unit 61 has a steering device 71 and a driving device 72, which will be described later, based on information such as vehicle speed, lateral acceleration, yaw rate, images taken by the camera, and reflected waves measured by radar, which are detected by the vehicle state sensor 70. And the braking device 73 are controlled to control the operation of the vehicle by automatic driving. Further, the route information generated by the in-vehicle device 40 is input to the automatic driving control unit 61 via the vehicle control device 10, and the traveling direction is determined.

The manual operation control unit 62 manually controls the steering device 71, the drive device 72, and the braking device 73, which will be described later, based on the operation by the passenger seated in the driver's seat with respect to the steering, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, etc. (not shown). Controls the movement of the vehicle by driving.

The steering device 71 determines the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the control signal of the automatic driving control unit 61 or the manual driving control unit 62.

The drive device 72 generates a driving force of the vehicle based on the control signal of the automatic driving control unit 61 or the manual driving control unit 62 to accelerate the vehicle. The drive device 72 has, for example, an engine or an electric motor that is an internal combustion engine.

The braking device 73 generates the braking force of the vehicle based on the control signal of the automatic driving control unit 61 or the manual driving control unit 62. The braking device 73 includes, for example, a brake disc, a brake caliper, and a hydraulic mechanism.

Next, the vehicle setting control unit 80 will be described in detail below.

The vehicle setting control unit 80 is controlled by the vehicle control device 10 to drive a position adjustment drive unit (not shown) that drives a seat, steering, rearview mirror, etc. (not shown) to drive the seat, steering, rearview mirror, etc. Control the driving position.

The vehicle control device 10 acquires vehicle setting information having information on the driving position of the occupant from the server 110, and notifies the vehicle setting control unit 80 of the acquired vehicle setting information. The vehicle setting control unit 80 adjusts the positions of the seat, steering, rearview mirror, etc. (not shown) by using the position adjustment drive unit (not shown) based on the notified vehicle setting information.

As a result, even if the same passenger is boarding a different vehicle, the driving position of each vehicle is adjusted to correspond to the passenger based on the vehicle setting information of the passenger. Further, even when different passengers board the same vehicle, the driving position of the same vehicle is adjusted to correspond to each passenger based on the vehicle setting information of each passenger.

Next, the server 110 will be described in detail below.

The server 110 has a processing unit 111, a storage unit 112, and a communication unit 113.

The processing unit 111 includes one or more processors and peripheral circuits. The processing unit 111 controls each hardware component of the server 110 and performs various processes according to a predetermined program stored in the storage unit 112 in advance, and the storage unit 111 temporarily stores the data generated during the processing. 112 is used. The number of servers does not have to be one. The operation of the server may be realized by a plurality of servers connected so as to be communicable via the network N in cooperation with each other.

The server 110 manages the driving qualification information of a passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle. The driving qualification information is information used by the vehicle control device 10 to determine an allowable driving mode for the passenger. Information such as the passenger's driving qualification information is stored in the storage unit 112. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a storage unit.

The storage unit 112 may have a semiconductor memory such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM), or a non-volatile memory such as a magnetic disk or a flash memory. Further, the storage unit 112 may use a disk drive as a drive capable of reading a non-temporary storage medium for storing a predetermined program. The storage unit 112 includes a driving qualification information table 112a, a license information reference table 112b, a face image reference table 112c, a biological information reference table 112d, a terminal reference table 112e, a server vehicle setting table 112f, and a server route history. The table 112g, the server manual operation history table 112h, and the server automatic operation history table 112i are stored.

In the driving qualification information table 112a, the occupant identification information that identifies the occupant who can be seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle and the driving qualification information of the occupant are registered in association with each other. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a driving qualification information table. In the driving qualification information table 600, a passenger identification information column 601 in which passenger identification information is registered, a driving qualification information column 602 in which passenger driving qualification information is registered, and passenger driving qualification related information are registered. It has a driving qualification related information column 603.

The server 110 controls the passenger identification information registered in the passenger identification information field 601 by referring to the license information reference table 112b, the face image reference table 112c, the biometric information reference table 112d, or the terminal reference table 112e. It is acquired based on the passenger information transmitted from the device 10.

In the driving qualification information column 602, the driving qualification information associated with the passenger identification information is registered. Examples of the driving qualification information registered in the driving qualification information column 602 include an ordinary vehicle type license (manual, unlimited), an ordinary vehicle type license (automatic only), and an ordinary motorcycle license. In this way, in the driving qualification information table 600, the driving qualification information of the passenger who can sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle is registered based on the driving qualification registered in the driver's license which is the official qualification. There is. Further, it is registered in the driver qualification information column 602 of a passenger who does not have a driver's license, that is, does not have a driver's qualification, and who can sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle, that he / she does not have a driver's qualification.

The communication unit 113 transmits / receives information to / from the vehicle control device 10 and the public server 120 via the network N. The processing unit 111 performs various processes based on the information received by the communication unit 113. In addition, the processing unit 111 transmits the results of performing various processing using the communication unit 113. The communication unit 113 may have a communication circuit and a communication line or an antenna for transmitting and receiving.

The server 110 obtains the driver's license validity and revocation information associated with the driver's license number from the server 120 of the public institution via the network N, and refers to the license information reference table 112b. Then, the driver's license information in the driver's license information column 602 may be updated. For example, if the driver's license has expired, it will be updated as driving qualification information without having a driving qualification.

The driving qualification-related information registered in the driving qualification-related information column 603 includes invalid information indicating that the driving qualification is invalid, for example, due to the presence or absence of suspension of the driver's license of the passenger. In addition, the driver's qualification-related information includes invalid information indicating that the driver's qualification is invalid because the driver's license associated with the passenger identification information has been stolen. Further, the driving qualification-related information includes invalid information indicating that the driving qualification is invalid due to reasons such as a forged driver's license associated with the passenger identification information. The driving qualification-related information can be acquired by the server 110 from the server 120 of a public institution via the network N. When the passenger's driving qualification-related information includes invalid information, the server 110 determines that the driver does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information regardless of the information registered in the driving qualification information column 602.

In the license information reference table 112b, the information possessed by the driver's license and the passenger identification information are registered in association with each other. The driver's license number may be used as the information held by the driver's license. Further, as the information held by the driver's license, the date of birth may be used together with the driver's license number.

In the face image reference table 112c, the image of the passenger's face and the passenger identification information are registered in association with each other.

In the biological information reference table 112d, the biological information of the passenger and the passenger identification information are registered in association with each other. Examples of the occupant's biological information include an image of a finger fingerprint, a voiceprint, a vein pattern, and the like.

In the terminal reference table 112e, the terminal identification information for identifying the terminal 130 owned by the passenger and the passenger identification information are registered in association with each other.

In the server vehicle setting table 112f, vehicle setting information such as setting information of the in-vehicle device 40 and driving position information is registered in association with passenger identification information.

The server route history table 112h includes route history information such as roads used by the passenger in the past, facilities parked by the passenger in the past, and driving time that the passenger has continuously driven in the past, and passenger identification information. Is associated and registered. Examples of roads used by passengers in the past include roads (toll roads, general roads, etc.) selected by passengers to be included in the route to the destination. The system 1 may include roads that the passenger has used in the past when deriving the route to the destination. Examples of facilities that passengers have parked in the past include commercial facilities such as convenience stores. When deriving the route to the destination, the system 1 may notify the passenger of a proposal to use the facility if the facility parked by the passenger in the past is connected to the route. In addition, the system 1 may notify the passenger of a proposal to park the vehicle and take a break based on the driving time that the passenger has continuously driven in the past.

In the server manual driving history table 112h, the manual driving information when the passenger has driven the vehicle in the manual driving mode in the past and the passenger identification information are registered in association with each other. The manual driving information includes, for example, operating characteristics such as vehicle speed, braking, acceleration, inter-vehicle distance, lane switching, overtaking, and horn. The occupant's manual driving information is used as control information for controlling a vehicle traveling in the automatic driving mode. For example, the vehicle control device 10 has an eco-pattern that suppresses fuel consumption and travels based on the passenger's manual driving information, a time pattern that reduces the arrival time to the destination, a safety pattern that performs particularly safe driving, and the like. The operation control device 60 may be controlled based on these putters by generating the automatic operation pattern of the above.

In the server automatic driving history table 112j, the automatic driving evaluation information fed back to the system 1 when the passenger boarded the vehicle in the automatic driving mode in the past and the passenger identification information are registered in association with each other. The automatic driving evaluation information includes the characteristics of vehicle speed, braking, acceleration, inter-vehicle distance, lane switching, overtaking, and horn. The passenger's automatic driving evaluation information is used as control information for controlling a vehicle traveling in the automatic driving mode.

The vehicle control device 10 in the system 1 has a manual MT operation mode, a manual AT operation mode, a speed and route selection automatic operation mode, and a fully automatic operation mode as operation modes that can be permitted for the mounted vehicle. Have.

The manual MT operation mode is one of the manual operation modes. In the manual MT operation mode, the passenger manually operates the vehicle by operating the gear change by operating a shift lever and a clutch pedal (not shown). The manual MT operation mode is a so-called manual vehicle operation mode.

The manual AT operation mode is another one of the manual operation modes. In the manual AT operation mode, the gear change operation is controlled by the manual operation control unit 62, and the passenger manually drives the vehicle. The manual AT operation mode is a so-called automatic vehicle operation mode.

The speed and route selection automatic operation mode is one of the automatic operation modes. The speed and route selection automatic driving mode is a driving mode in which the passenger is allowed to select a destination, a route, and set a speed, and automatically drive the vehicle. Here, the speed selection means designating the speed at which the vehicle travels within the range below the speed limit. Route selection means deriving a route so as to go through a point or road designated by the passenger when deriving the route.

The fully automatic operation mode is another one of the automatic operation modes. The fully automatic driving mode is a driving mode in which the passenger is allowed only to set the destination and automatically drives the vehicle.

When the driving qualification information is an ordinary car type license (manual, unlimited), the driving modes are the above-mentioned four manual MT driving modes, manual AT driving modes, speed and route selection automatic driving modes, and fully automatic driving modes. Any of these modes is acceptable to the passenger.

If the driving qualification information is an ordinary car type license (automatic only), the manual AT driving mode, speed and route selection automatic driving mode, and fully automatic driving mode are boarded as the driving modes among the above four driving modes. Tolerated to the person.

When the driving qualification information is a normal motorcycle license, the passenger is allowed to use the speed and route selection automatic driving mode and the fully automatic driving mode among the above-mentioned four driving modes as the driving modes. Passengers with a standard two-wheel motor vehicle are aware of traffic rules, such as the speed limit for driving on roads and the fact that they can only travel in certain directions on one-way roads. it is conceivable that. Therefore, the passenger is allowed to operate the speed and route selection. However, a normal motorcycle license does not allow manual driving of a vehicle with four wheels, so the manual driving mode is not allowed for passengers.

Next, the operation of the system 100 described above will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the vehicle control device 10 determines an operation mode.

First, in step S701, the driver qualification information acquisition unit 11a of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 detects that the passenger is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the information from the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20. do.

The driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a may detect that the passenger is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the signal transmitted from the driver's seat load sensor 21.

Further, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a can detect that the passenger is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the signal transmitted from the seatbelt wearing sensor 22.

Further, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a can detect that the passenger is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the image transmitted from the camera 23. For example, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a may analyze the image using a support vector machine or an adaBoost classifier to detect a occupant seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle.

When detecting that the occupant is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a may use one or more of the above-mentioned means for acquiring the plurality of seating information. When a plurality of means are used, a majority voting method may be used to detect that the passenger is seated.

Next, in step S703, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a, which detects that the passenger is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, transmits the passenger information acquired by the passenger information acquisition unit 30 to the server 110 via the network N. Send to. Then, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a obtains the driving qualification information of the passenger transmitted from the server 110.

The driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a may transmit the terminal identification information of the terminal 130 possessed by the passenger to the server 110 via the network N as the passenger information. For example, a passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle may be outside the vehicle and communicate with the communication unit 13 of the vehicle control device 10 by using the terminal 130. In this case, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a acquires the terminal identification information from the terminal 130.

The process of step S703 will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, in step S801, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 receives the passenger information acquired by the passenger information acquisition unit 30. As passenger information, the driver qualification information acquisition unit 11a includes information held by the driver's license, an image of the face of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, biometric information of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, and terminal identification information. One or more of the information may be received.

If the driver's license reader 31 cannot acquire information from the driver's license within a predetermined time after detecting that the passenger is seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle, the driver's qualification information acquisition unit 11a may obtain information from the driver's license. The driver qualification information acquisition unit 11a determines that the passenger does not have a driver's license.

Next, in step S803, the driver qualification information acquisition unit 11a transmits the passenger information to the server 110 via the network N.

Next, in step S805, the server 110 receives the passenger information.

Next, in step S807, the server 110 refers to the storage unit 112 and acquires the driving qualification information of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the received passenger information.

Specifically, the server 110 first acquires the passenger identification information associated with the passenger information based on the received passenger information, and then the passenger identification information based on the passenger identification information. Get the driving credentials associated with the information.

When the server 110 receives the information possessed by the driver's license acquired by the driver's license reader 31 as the passenger information, the server 110 refers to the license information reference table 112b stored in the storage unit 112 and obtains the passenger identification information. get. For example, the server 110 refers to the license information reference table 112b to acquire the passenger identification information associated with the driver's license number that matches the passenger information.

If the server 110 cannot obtain the driving qualification information by referring to the license information reference table 112b, the server 110 determines that the driver does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information. This is because the information held by the driver's license may not be registered in the license information reference table 112b.

Further, the server 110 may determine the driver's qualification information based on the license number and age, which are the passenger information of the driver's license. For example, if the passenger's age is older than the specified year, the passenger can use the driver's license as the driving qualification information registered in the license information reference table 112b, such as a driver's license (manual, no limitation) or a driver's license. Even if you have (automatic only), you may limit the driving credentials allowed for the passenger to only the speed and route selection automatic driving mode or the fully automatic driving mode. From the viewpoint of ensuring safe driving, elderly passengers may not be allowed to drive manually even if they have driving credentials that allow manual driving.

When the server 110 receives the image of the face of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle as the passenger information, the server 110 acquires the passenger identification information by referring to the face image reference table 112c stored in the storage unit 112. You may. Specifically, the server 110 refers to the face image reference table 112c and acquires the occupant identification information associated with the occupant's face image acquired as the occupant information.

The server 110 acquires passenger information using, for example, an eigenface method using principal component analysis, a linear discriminant analysis method, an elastic bunch graph matching method, a hidden Markov model method, a dynamic link matching method based on neuronal motivation, and the like. Analyze the image of the passenger's face.

If the server 110 cannot acquire the passenger identification information based on the image of the passenger's face acquired as the passenger information, the server 110 does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information. Judge.

Further, when the server 110 receives the biometric information of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle as the passenger information, the server 110 acquires the passenger identification information by referring to the biometric information reference table 112d stored in the storage unit 112. You may.

For example, the server 110 refers to the biometric information reference table 112d to obtain the occupant identification information associated with the image information of the fingerprint of the occupant's finger received as the occupant information. The operation mode determination unit 11b analyzes the fingerprint image of the occupant's finger acquired as occupant information by using, for example, pattern matching or maneuver matching.

If the server 110 cannot acquire the occupant identification information based on the occupant's biometric information acquired as the occupant information, the server 110 does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information. to decide.

Further, when the server 110 receives the terminal identification information of the passenger who can be seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle as the passenger information, the server 110 refers to the terminal reference table 112e stored in the storage unit 112 and obtains the passenger identification information. You may get it.

If the server 110 cannot acquire the passenger identification information based on the passenger terminal identification information acquired as the passenger information, the server 110 does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information. Judge.

Next, in step S809, the server 110 acquires the driving qualification information with reference to the driving qualification information table 112a stored in the storage unit 112 based on the acquired passenger identification information.

Here, when the server 110 determines the driving qualification information using the received plurality of passenger information, if all the acquired driving qualification information does not match, the server 110 has a driving qualification as the driving qualification information. You may judge that it is not.

For example, the server 110 may determine the driver's qualification information based on the information held by the driver's license and the image of the passenger's face. Here, it is assumed that the child of the owner of the vehicle takes out the driver's license of the owner and sits in the driver's seat of the vehicle. The driving qualification information obtained based on the information possessed by the driver's license does not match the driving qualification information obtained based on the image of the passenger's face taken by the camera 32. In this way, if the obtained plurality of driving qualification information does not match, the server 110 may not allow the passenger any driving mode. In this case, the child cannot operate the vehicle.

Further, the server 110 acquires the vehicle setting information associated with the passenger identification information by referring to the server vehicle setting table 112f stored in the storage unit 112 based on the acquired passenger identification information. Further, the server 110 acquires the route history information associated with the passenger identification information by referring to the server route history table 112g stored in the storage unit 112 based on the acquired passenger identification information. Further, the server 110 acquires the manual operation history information associated with the passenger identification information by referring to the server manual operation history table 112h stored in the storage unit 112 based on the acquired passenger identification information. do. Further, the server 110 acquires the automatic operation history information associated with the passenger identification information by referring to the server automatic operation history table 112j stored in the storage unit 112 based on the acquired passenger identification information.

Next, in step S811, the server 110 transmits the driving qualification information, the vehicle setting information, the route history information, the manual driving history information, and the automatic driving history information to the vehicle control device 10 via the network N. ..

Next, in step S813, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a receives the driving qualification information, the vehicle setting information, the route history information, the manual driving history information, and the automatic driving history information. The driver's qualification information acquisition unit 11a does not have, for example, an ordinary vehicle type license (manual, no limitation), an ordinary vehicle type license (automatic only), an ordinary motorcycle license or a license qualification as the driver's driver's qualification information. Get the information. In this way, in the system 100, the driver's driving qualification information managed and updated in the server 110 is acquired in the system 1.

Next, in step S815, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a registers the received vehicle setting information in the vehicle setting table 12b stored in the storage unit 12. The vehicle control device 10 adjusts the setting of the acoustic output unit 45 of the vehicle-mounted device 40 so as to correspond to the occupant based on the vehicle setting information registered in the vehicle setting table 12b. Further, the vehicle control device 10 controls the vehicle setting control unit 80 based on the vehicle setting information registered in the vehicle setting table 12b, and adjusts the driving position so as to correspond to the passenger.

Further, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a registers the received route history information in the route history table 12c stored in the storage unit 12, and stores the received manual driving history information in the storage unit 12 for the manual driving history. Register in Table 12d. Further, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a registers the received automatic driving history information in the automatic driving history table 12e stored in the storage unit 12.

When the driver qualification information acquisition unit 11a detects that the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle has left the vehicle based on the information transmitted from the driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 20, the step is taken. It is preferable to perform the processes of S701 and S703 again to acquire the driving qualification information again.

The above is the description of step S703.

Next, in step S705, as shown in FIG. 9, the driving mode determining unit 11b displays all the driving modes that can be selected in the vehicle on the display unit 43 of the vehicle-mounted device 40. The passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle uses the operation unit 44 of the in-vehicle device 40 to select any one of the operation modes displayed on the display unit 43. Then, the operation mode determination unit 11b inputs the operation mode selected by the passenger. The operation mode determination unit 11b may display only the operation modes permitted for the passenger on the display unit 43 based on the passenger information.

Next, in step S707, the route determination unit 11c of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 uses the operation unit 44 of the in-vehicle device 40 to input the destination desired by the passenger seated in the driver's seat.

The passenger seated in the driver's seat inputs the destination using the operation unit 44 of the in-vehicle device 40. Further, the passenger who has selected the speed and route selection automatic operation mode may input the desired speed or route by using the operation unit 44 of the in-vehicle device 40.

Next, in step S709, the route determination unit 11c derives a route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination by using the in-vehicle device 40. When the driving mode selected by the passenger is the speed and route selection automatic driving mode or the fully automatic driving mode, the route determining unit 11c derives the route only through the roads that can be driven by automatic driving. Try to do that. If it is not possible to derive a route that goes only through a road that can be driven by autonomous driving, or if the destination is not connected to a road that can be driven by autonomous driving, a road that is not allowed to be driven by autonomous driving is selected. Derivation of the included alternative route. The route determination unit 11c may derive a route corresponding to the passenger by referring to the route history information registered in the route history table 12c stored in the storage unit 12.

Next, in step S711, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines whether or not the selected operation mode can be permitted for the derived route to the destination based on the operation qualification information.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the process of the operation mode determination unit 11b in step S711.

First, in step S1001, the driving mode determination unit 11b determines whether or not the driving mode selected by the passenger is permitted based on the driving qualification information.

For example, when a passenger who has a general automobile type license (manual, unlimited) selects the manual MT driving mode as the driving qualification information, this selection is permitted (in the case of Yes in step S1001). On the other hand, when a passenger who has a general automobile type license (automatic only) selects the manual MT driving mode as the driving qualification information, this selection is not allowed (when No in step S1001). Further, when a passenger having a normal motorcycle license selects the speed and route selection automatic driving mode as the driving qualification information, this selection is permitted (in the case of Yes in step S1001). On the other hand, when a passenger who has a general automobile type license (automatic only) selects the manual MT operation mode or the manual AT operation mode as the driving qualification information, this selection is not allowed (when No in step S1001). .. Further, when a passenger who does not have a driving qualification as the driving qualification information selects the fully automatic driving mode, this selection is permitted (in the case of Yes in step S1001). On the other hand, when a passenger who does not have a driving qualification as driving qualification information selects a manual MT driving mode, a manual AT driving mode, or a speed and route selection automatic driving mode, this selection is not allowed (in step S1001). If No).

When the passenger does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information, the driving mode determining unit 11b allows the passenger to fully automate the driving mode among the above four driving modes, or the driving mode determining unit 11b allows the passenger to use the fully automatic driving mode as the driving mode. Neither operation mode may be allowed. It is not possible to operate the vehicle for passengers who are not allowed in any of the driving modes.

Next, in step S1003, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines whether or not the vehicle can move to the destination in the selected operation mode (in the case of Yes in step S1001).

For example, when the manual MT operation mode or the manual AT operation mode is allowed for the passenger, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines that the passenger can move using the derived route (in step S1003). In the case of Yes). Because it is considered possible to drive manually even if the route includes a road that is not permitted to drive autonomously or the destination is not connected to a road that allows autonomous driving. Is. On the other hand, speed and route selection automatic driving mode or fully automatic driving mode is allowed, and the derived route includes roads that are not permitted to drive by automatic driving, or the destination can drive by automatic driving. When not connected to the road, the driving mode determining unit 11b determines that the vehicle cannot move to the destination in the selected driving mode (when No in step S1003). In this way, the driving mode is determined based on the driving qualification information of the passenger, and the route is determined, so that the driving based on the driving mode capable of traveling on the road on the route is ensured. Specifically, when the driving mode is the speed and route selection automatic driving mode or the fully automatic driving mode, the route to the destination is determined based on the driving qualification information.

In step S1005, it is determined that the selected operation mode can be permitted (in the case of Yes in step S1003).

Next, in step S713 (see FIG. 7), the driving mode determining unit 11b determines to the passenger the driving mode selected by the passenger as the driving mode for controlling the vehicle. The driving mode determining unit 11b causes the driving control device 60 to control the operation of the vehicle in the determined driving mode.

When the manual MT operation mode or the manual AT operation mode is permitted, the information update unit 11d of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 outputs the passenger's operation information from the operation control device 60 during the manual operation of the vehicle. Acquire and update the manual operation history table 12d.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a manual operation history table.

The manual driving history table 1100 has a speed column 1101, a braking column 1102, an acceleration column 1103, an inter-vehicle distance column 1104, a lane switching column 1104, an overtaking column 1106, and a crush column 1107.

The information updating unit 11d updates the value obtained by quantifying the speed of the vehicle within a predetermined range in the speed column 1101 based on the running of the vehicle. The information updating unit 11d updates the value obtained by quantifying the frequency of the brake operation within a predetermined range to the braking column 1102 based on the operation information of the passenger. The information updating unit 11d updates the value obtained by quantifying the frequency of accelerator operation within a predetermined range in the acceleration column 1103 based on the operation information of the passenger. The information updating unit 11d updates the inter-vehicle distance column 1104 with a value obtained by quantifying the inter-vehicle distance within a predetermined range based on the traveling of the vehicle. The information updating unit 11d updates the lane switching column 1104 with a value obtained by quantifying the frequency of lane switching within a predetermined range based on the vehicle traveling and passenger operation information. The information updating unit 11d updates the overtaking frequency to the overtaking column 1106 by quantifying the overtaking frequency within a predetermined range based on the traveling of the vehicle and the operation information of the passenger. The information updating unit 11d updates the value obtained by quantifying the frequency of the horn ringing within a predetermined range in the horn column 1107 based on the operation information of the passenger.

On the other hand, when the speed and route selection automatic driving mode or the fully automatic driving mode is permitted, the information updating unit 11d of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 puts the vehicle in the automatic driving mode during the automatic driving of the vehicle. Acquire automatic driving evaluation information from passengers on board.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a screen of a display unit when acquiring automatic driving evaluation information.

The information updating unit 11d displays evaluation information for evaluating each item on the display unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 40 together with the automatic driving evaluation items such as vehicle speed, braking, acceleration, inter-vehicle distance, lane switching, overtaking, and horn. ..

The passenger uses the operation unit 44 of the in-vehicle device 40 to select evaluation information for evaluating each automatic driving evaluation item.

The passenger selects fast or slow as the speed evaluation information. The passenger selects strong or weak as the evaluation information of braking. The passenger selects strong or weak as the evaluation information of acceleration. The passenger selects near or far as the evaluation information of the inter-vehicle distance. The passenger selects more or less as the evaluation information for lane switching. The passenger selects more or less as the evaluation information for overtaking. The passenger selects more or less as the evaluation information of the horn ringing.

The information updating unit 11d uses the operation unit 44 to acquire the passenger's evaluation information for each automatic driving evaluation item.

The information update unit 11d updates the automatic operation history table 12e stored in the storage unit 12 based on the acquired automatic operation evaluation information.

The information updating unit 11d controls the automatic operation of the operation control device 60 based on the automatic operation evaluation information registered in the automatic operation history table 12e together with the manual operation information registered in the manual operation history table 12d. Further, when the passenger changes the setting of the acoustic output unit 45 of the in-vehicle device 40 or the setting of the driving position, the information updating unit 11d updates the information in the vehicle setting table 12b of the storage unit 12. ..

The above is the description of step S713.

On the other hand, in step S1007, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines that the selected operation mode cannot be permitted (when No in step S1001 or step S1003).

Next, in step S715 (when No in step S711), the operation mode determination unit 11b determines the presence or absence of another permitted operation mode.

For example, in step S711, a passenger who has an ordinary vehicle type license (manual, unlimited) as driving qualification information has selected the speed and route selection automatic driving mode or the fully automatic driving mode, and driving by automatic driving is permitted. It is assumed that an alternative route to the destination including the road that is not used has been derived. In this case, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines that there are a manual MT operation mode and a manual AT operation mode as operation modes that can be permitted to the passenger (in the case of Yes in step S715). This is because it is considered that a passenger having driving qualification information having a manual MT operation mode and a manual AT operation mode can safely drive to the destination by traveling on an alternative route by manual operation.

Further, in step S711, the passenger who does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information has selected the speed and route selection automatic driving mode, and the route to the destination via only the road where the driving by the automatic driving is possible. Is derived. In this case, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines that there is a fully automatic operation mode as an operation mode that can be permitted to the passenger (in the case of Yes in step S715). For passengers who do not have driving qualifications, only the operation of inputting the destination is allowed, and safe driving of the vehicle is ensured.

Further, in step S711, the passenger who does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information has selected the manual MT driving mode or the manual AT driving mode, and reaches the destination via only the road where the driving by the automatic driving is possible. If the route can be derived, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines that there is a fully automatic operation mode as an operation mode that can be permitted to the passenger (in the case of Yes in step S715). For passengers who do not have driving qualifications, only the operation of inputting the destination is allowed, and safe driving of the vehicle is ensured.

On the other hand, when there is no permitable driving mode for the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger, the driving mode determining unit 11b determines that there is no other permitting driving mode (when No in step S715). .. For example, a passenger who does not have a driving qualification as driving qualification information may select the fully automatic driving mode, but may not be able to derive a route to a destination via only a road that can be driven by automatic driving. ..

In step S717, the operation mode determination unit 11b notifies the passenger of the permitted operation mode (in the case of Yes in step S715). The operation mode determination unit 11b displays, for example, the permitted operation mode on the display unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 40, or outputs the permitted operation mode by voice using the acoustic output unit 45.

Next, in step S719, the operation mode determination unit 11b uses the operation unit 44 of the in-vehicle device 40 to input an operation mode that can be permitted by the passenger. If the passenger seated in the driver's seat does not select the notified permitted driving mode, the operation unit 44 is used to perform an operation that does not select the permitted driving mode (No. in step S719. case).

Next, in step S721, the driving mode determining unit 11b determines the driving mode input by the passenger to the passenger as the driving mode for controlling the vehicle. The driving mode determining unit 11b causes the driving control device 60 to control the operation of the vehicle in the determined driving mode.

On the other hand, in step S723, the operation mode determination unit 11b notifies the passenger that it is impossible to operate the vehicle (when No in step S715 or S719). The driving mode determining unit 11b uses, for example, the display unit 43 of the in-vehicle device 40 to indicate that it is impossible to drive the vehicle, or uses the acoustic output unit 45 to say so. Output.

The above is the description of the operation of the vehicle control device 10 for determining the operation mode.

Even after the vehicle control device 10 determines the driving mode of the passenger, the vehicle control device 10 communicates with the server 110 via the network N, for example, at predetermined intervals. The vehicle control device 10 uses the information registered in the vehicle setting table 12b, the route history table 12c, the manual driving history table 12d, and the automatic driving history table 12e stored in the storage unit 12 together with the passenger information on the server 110. Send to. The server 110 acquires the passenger identification information based on the passenger information, associates the received information with the passenger identification information, and stores the received information in the server vehicle setting table 112f of the storage unit 112, the server route history table 112g, and the server manual. Register in the operation history table 112h and the server automatic operation history table 112i. If the communication with the server 110 is disconnected, the vehicle control device 10 repeats the processes of steps S701 and S703 to acquire the driver's driving qualification information. Hereinafter, the operation of the vehicle control device 10 when the communication with the server 110 is disconnected during the manual operation will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, in step S1301, it is assumed that the communication between the vehicle control device 10 and the server 110 is disconnected while the vehicle driven by the passenger is traveling in the manual driving mode.

Next, in step S1303, after the communication with the server 110 is connected, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a transmits the passenger information to the server 110 via the network N.

Next, in step S1305, the server 110 receives the passenger information.

Next, in step S1307, the server 110 refers to the storage unit 112 and acquires the driving qualification information of the passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle based on the received passenger information.

Next, in step S1309, the server 110 acquires the driving qualification information with reference to the driving qualification information table 112a stored in the storage unit 112 based on the acquired passenger identification information.

Here, it is assumed that the driving qualification-related information registered in association with the passenger identification information has invalid information in the driving qualification information table 112a. This is invalid as the driving qualification related information because the server 110 acquires the driving qualification related information from the server 120 of the public institution and the driving qualification information table 112a is updated while the communication is disconnected. Due to the information being registered. For example, invalid information may be registered as driving qualification-related information because the driver's license associated with the passenger identification information has been stolen.

Next, in step S1311, when the driver's driving qualification-related information includes invalid information, the server 110 does not have the driving qualification as the driving qualification information regardless of the information registered as the driving qualification information. Judge.

Next, in step S1313, the server 110 transmits the driving qualification information to the vehicle control device 10 via the network N.

Next, in step S1315, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a receives the driving qualification information.

Next, in step S1317, when the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a determines that the received driving qualification information is different from the driving qualification information before the communication is disconnected, the driving mode of the vehicle is changed to the automatic driving mode. , Stop the vehicle in a safe place. After that, the vehicle control device 10 may acquire the destination from the passenger and move to the destination in the automatic driving mode.

The above is a description of the operation of the vehicle control device 10 when the communication with the server 110 is disconnected during manual operation.

Passengers who can sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle may also want to use the vehicle away from the vehicle. For example, the passenger may move the vehicle to the current position where the passenger is, and then board the vehicle and move to the destination.

Here, if only the automatic driving mode is allowed as the driving qualification information of the passenger, it may not be possible to move from the current position to the destination. This is because if the derived route to the destination includes a road that is not permitted to drive autonomously, or if the destination is not connected to a road that allows autonomous driving, autonomous driving This is because you cannot move to your destination.

Hereinafter, the operation of the vehicle control device 10 when the passenger outside the vehicle moves the vehicle to the current position, then gets on the vehicle and moves to the destination, with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. , Will be described below.

First, in step S1401, the passenger outside the vehicle uses the terminal 130 to transmit the terminal identification information and the current position information as the passenger information to the vehicle control device 10 via the network N.

Next, in step S1403, the vehicle control device 10 receives the terminal identification information and the current position information as passenger information.

Next, in step S1405, the driving qualification information acquisition unit 11a of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 transmits the terminal identification information as passenger information to the server 110 to acquire the driving qualification information.

Next, in step S1407, the operation mode determination unit 11b and the route determination unit 11c of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 transmit the operation mode selection request and the destination request to the terminal 130 via the network N.

Next, in step S1409, the terminal 130 receives the operation mode selection request and the destination request.

Next, in step S1411, the passenger outside the vehicle transmits the selected operation mode and destination to the vehicle control device 10 via the network N using the terminal 130.

Next, in step S1413, the vehicle control device 10 receives the operation mode and the destination.

Next, in step S1415, the route determination unit 11c of the vehicle control device 10 derives a route from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant only via the road on which the vehicle can travel by automatic driving. Try to do that. In addition, the route determination unit 11c derives a route from the passenger's current position to the destination.

Next, in step S1415, the operation mode determination unit 11b of the vehicle control device 10 determines whether or not the vehicle can move from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant by automatic driving. The driving mode determining unit 11b determines that the route from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant can be moved if it can be driven by automatic driving. If not, the operation mode determination unit 11b determines that the movement is immovable.

Further, when the driving mode determining unit 11b can move from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant, the driving mode determining unit 11b can move from the current position of the occupant to the destination based on the driving qualification information of the occupant. Determines whether or not the route can be moved in the selected operation mode.

Then, the operation mode determination unit 11b can move in the operation mode selected from the passenger's current position to the destination and the determination result of whether or not the vehicle can move from the current position of the vehicle to the passenger's current position. The determination result of whether or not it is transmitted to the terminal 130 via the network N. When the operation mode determination unit 11b cannot move from the passenger's current position to the destination in the selected operation mode, the operation mode determination unit 11b moves along with the determination result and how far along the route from the passenger's current position to the destination. Send movable information indicating whether it is possible.

If the vehicle cannot move from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant due to automatic driving, whether or not the vehicle can move from the current position of the occupant to the destination in the selected driving mode. The determination result is not transmitted to the terminal 130.

Here, assuming that the vehicle can move from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant by automatic driving, the following description will be given.

Next, in step S1419, the terminal 130 determines whether or not the vehicle can move from the current position of the vehicle to the current position of the occupant, and the operation mode selected from the current position of the occupant to the destination. Receives the judgment result of whether or not it can be moved.

Whether or not the passenger outside the vehicle moves the vehicle to the current position where the passenger is based on the judgment result of whether or not the passenger can move from the current position of the passenger to the destination in the selected driving mode. To judge.

For example, it is assumed that a passenger outside the vehicle does not have a driving qualification as driving qualification information. Then, it is assumed that the passenger outside the vehicle receives a determination result notifying that the passenger cannot move from the passenger's current position to the destination in the selected driving mode. The passenger outside the vehicle obtains information on how far he / she can move on the route from the passenger's current position to the destination based on the movable information received together with the judgment result. Based on the movable information, the passenger outside the vehicle can decide whether to use the vehicle or to move to the destination by using public transportation such as a train or a taxi. When using an autonomous vehicle, it may be better to choose to use a vehicle if it can move to the vicinity of the destination even if it cannot move to the destination. On the other hand, if the position where the self-driving vehicle can be moved is far from the destination, it may be better to choose to use public transportation. Here, assuming that the passenger outside the vehicle chooses to move using the vehicle, the following description will be given.

Next, in step S1501, the passenger outside the vehicle uses the terminal 130 to send a movement request requesting the vehicle to move to the current position where the passenger is, to the vehicle control device 10 via the network N. Send.

Next, in step S1503, the vehicle control device 10 receives the movement request.

Next, in step S1505, the vehicle control device 10 moves the vehicle to the position of the passenger outside the vehicle in the automatic driving mode.

The above is a description of the operation of the vehicle control device 10 when a passenger outside the vehicle moves the vehicle to the current position, then gets on the vehicle and moves to the destination.

Next, the operation of the electronic payment unit 11e of the processing unit 11 of the vehicle control device 10 will be described below.

In the system 1, when the vehicle travels on the toll road, the electronic payment unit 11e uses the communication unit 13 to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device arranged at the tollhouse to pay the toll. Electronic payment is possible. For example, when the vehicle travels on the toll road in the automatic driving mode, the electronic payment unit 11e processes the toll payment, so that the passenger does not have to go through the toll payment procedure.

The vehicle may also be used as a taxi in the autonomous driving mode. A passenger who is a taxi user can automatically drive to the destination by inputting the destination into the system 1. In this case, the electronic payment unit 11e can electronically settle the payment of the usage fee from the passenger. For example, the passenger may purchase a prepaid taxi ticket associated with the passenger identification information on the web. In this case, the passenger can use the taxi within the amount of the taxi ticket purchased in advance. Further, the passenger may register the passenger's credit card number in association with the passenger identification information in the driving qualification information table 112a of the storage unit 112 of the server 110. The passenger can use the terminal 130 to make a taxi reservation and notify the destination to the system 1. After the passenger uses the taxi, the electronic payment unit 11e electronically setstles the taxi usage fee based on the passenger's credit card number.

According to the system 100 of the present embodiment described above, the operation range in which the operation of the vehicle having the automatic driving mode is permitted is set based on the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who drives the vehicle, which is acquired from the external server. Can be decided.

Since the server 110 updates the driver's driving qualification information together with the driving qualification-related information, accurate driving qualification information and driving qualification-related information are acquired, and the driving mode allowed for the passenger is determined.

Further, according to the system 100, in the manual driving mode, the operating range for operating the vehicle is automatically determined based on the driving qualification information of the passenger who drives the vehicle, so that the range corresponding to the skill of the passenger Safe vehicle driving is ensured.

Further, according to the system 100, as the driving qualification information, the passenger who does not have the driving qualification of the vehicle is not allowed to perform any operation other than the operation of inputting the destination, so that the manual operation of the passenger is prevented. Therefore, it is possible to secure the running of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode.

In the present invention, the vehicle control network system, the vehicle control system, the vehicle control device, and the vehicle control method of the above-described embodiment can be appropriately changed as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the derivation of the route is controlled by the vehicle control device 10 and performed by the in-vehicle device 40, but the derivation of the route may be performed by the vehicle control device 10.

Further, the system 100 may allow an automatic driving mode in which automatic driving is performed based on the automatic driving information (time zone, route, etc.) registered in advance in association with the passenger identification information. For example, a fully automatic driving mode having automatic driving information (time zone, route, etc.) may be registered in the driving qualification information table 112a of the storage unit 112 of the server 110 in association with the passenger identification information. In this fully autonomous driving mode, the vehicle is controlled to travel a predetermined route in a predetermined time zone. Such a setting can be used, for example, when using a vehicle to transfer a child to and from school in the morning and evening. As a result, the passenger can move to the destination by reading the driver's license into the driver's license reader 31.

The type of license and driving qualification may change due to future revisions of traffic rules. For example, an "autonomous driver's license" may be created that requires a certain amount of knowledge about traffic rules even if you cannot drive, and in such a case, some kind of qualified driver even if it is fully automatic driving. If you are not on board, you may not be allowed to drive. Therefore, the server 110 according to the modified example can update the license information reference table 112b stored in the storage unit 112 so as to respond to such a traffic rule revision or the like. Specifically, the type and driving qualification information of the license that has been added or changed due to the revision can be input by the server administrator using an input unit (not shown), or an information medium (CD-ROM) can be input by a reading unit (not shown). , USB memory, etc.), or may be obtained from a public server 120 via the network N. By doing so, even if the traffic rules or the like change in the future, the operating range in which the operation of the vehicle having the automatic driving mode is permitted can be appropriately determined based on the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger.

1 Vehicle control system 10 Vehicle control device 11 Processing unit 12 Storage unit 13 Communication unit 20 Driver's seat seating information acquisition unit 21 Driver's seat load sensor 22 Seat belt wearing sensor 23 Camera 30 Passenger information acquisition unit 31 Driver's license reader 32 Camera 33 Biological information sensor 40 In-vehicle device 41 Processing unit 42 Storage unit 43 Display unit 44 Operation unit 45 Sound output unit 46 Communication unit 50 GPS information reception unit 60 Operation control device 61 Automatic operation control unit 62 Manual operation control unit 70 Vehicle condition sensor 71 Steering Device 72 Drive device 73 Braking device 80 Vehicle setting control unit 100 Vehicle control network system 110 Server 111 Processing unit 112 Storage unit 113 Storage unit 120 Public engine server 130 Terminal

Claims (7)

A vehicle control device having a plurality of operation modes having different operating ranges in which vehicle operation is permitted.
The plurality of operation modes have at least an automatic operation mode.
A processing unit that determines that the vehicle is operated in any one of the plurality of driving modes based on the driving qualification information possessed by the passenger who drives the vehicle obtained from an external server. Prepare,
When the processing unit determines that the passenger is not qualified to drive the vehicle, the processing unit determines that the vehicle is operated only in the automatic driving mode .
The vehicle is an ordinary car,
The vehicle may be operated depending on whether the passenger who does not have a driver's license for a normal vehicle has a license for a normal motorcycle or a license for a normal motorcycle. Vehicle control devices with different allowed driving modes. A passenger information acquisition unit that acquires passenger information that recognizes the passenger, and
A communication unit that transmits the passenger information acquired by the passenger information acquisition unit to the server and receives the driving qualification information associated with the passenger information from the server.
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server updates the driving qualification information based on information acquired from the outside. The passenger is outside the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device.
The processing unit, which has been notified by the passenger of the current position and destination of the passenger, determines whether or not the current position of the passenger can move to the destination based on the driving qualification information. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which notifies the passenger of the above. When the processing unit cannot move from the passenger's current position to the destination, the processing unit notifies the passenger of information indicating how far the passenger can move on the route from the current position to the destination. Item 4. The vehicle control device according to item 4. If the passenger who is not qualified to drive an ordinary vehicle has a license for a standard two-wheeled vehicle, the permitted vehicle will be compared to the case where the passenger does not have a license for a normal motorcycle. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an operation mode having a wide range of operation is allowed. Obtaining the driving credentials of the passenger driving the vehicle from an external server and
Based on the driving qualification information, it is determined that the vehicle is operated in any one of a plurality of driving modes having at least an automatic driving mode and having a different operating range in which the vehicle can be operated. matter,
With
If it is determined that the passenger is not qualified to drive the vehicle, it is determined that the vehicle will be operated only in the autonomous driving mode .
The vehicle is an ordinary car,
The vehicle may be operated depending on whether the passenger who does not have a driver's license for a normal vehicle has a license for a normal motorcycle or a license for a normal motorcycle. Vehicle control methods with different allowed driving modes.

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